Sticks and Stones
by lucablue
Summary: Sometimes words just might kill you...
1. Chapter 1

**Sticks and Stones**

_a/n: This is my attempt at more of an episode-like story that's set just after Mystery Spot – it's a short story. It's also a little fractured in places (and not nearly as angsty as normal!) but again I'm experimenting so comments on what you like/hate would be very valuable. Also, Sam's behavior won't make sense unless you have seen Mystery Spot, Season 3 (and even then maybe not…?!)._

_lb._

**Chapter 1**

He heard the gunshot but it made no sense. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

"Dean?" Oh God oh God oh God no, no. Not like this.

Sam sat up in bed gasping like there was no oxygen in the room. Panic clawed through him until he saw the shape in the other bed stir and move. The red numbers on the digital clock glowed 2.27am.

Dean was okay.

It wasn't Tuesday.

Sam barely made it to the bathroom and dry heaved until he sank to the floor exhausted.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another dingy motel room, another Godforsaken town and of course another monster or whatever the hell this was going to end up being. Another hunt.

Three deaths in one town, all seventeen year olds to be exact, had caught their attention as out of the ordinary.

Out of the ordinary. The definition of their lives.

Sam stared vacantly at the bathroom door, listening to the sounds of the shower running. His fingers drummed a nervous beat on the tabletop to match the increase in his breathing. He didn't even realise he was doing it.

The water stopped and Sam almost held his breath. No sound. Sam swallowed, anticipation making his mouth go dry.

Sam jumped, his startled face frozen for a second as Dean opened the door with a sharp tug and came out in a billow of steam and a pair of boxers.

"That's one fine shower Sammy, hot and hard just like…" Dean stopped, taking in the pale face and almost trembling form of his brother. "Sammy? What's wrong you look like you've just seen a ghost? You haven't just seen a ghost, have you?"

Dean glanced around the room for the source of his brother's tension, the irony of the cliché not lost on him. He snagged a t-shirt from his bag, pulling it on and sitting down on the end of his bed opposite the small table where his brother sat.

"Sam?" He knew the look now, he should have recognised it as soon as he saw it really. It had been randomly appearing for the past two days without warning. Sam, it seemed had no more control over it than the weather and the stress was taking its toll on his younger brother.

"I'm okay Sammy. You know that right?"

"It's not Tuesday." More of a statement than anything. Sam felt under his shirt and found no bullet wound or scar on his stomach. Just to make sure.

"No Sam it's not Tuesday and nothing's gonna happen."

"Kay. I'm…I'm gonna shower."

Dean watched as Sam fumbled for some clean clothes, avoiding all eye contact and disappeared behind the closed door. He sighed as he leant his head in his hands, not really knowing what to do. How to fix this.

He knew what it felt like to lose a brother. His mind couldn't even grasp the reality of reliving the scenario over and over or living the life Sam had apparently led for months in the alternate trickster universe. Sam seemed to be having trouble grasping the fact that he was out of the loop now. Groundhog Day was over.

Time. That's all Sam needed, time. They would just keep doing the job and let time fix this…well at least until his time ran out and Sam had to do it for real.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam slid into the seat and closed the passenger door as the Impala rumbled to life and Dean reversed out of the motel's parking lot. He took a deep breath and ignored the furtive glances his older brother was not so covertly throwing his way.

He could do this. He knew this was real, not part of the Trickster's little mind game that would rewind endlessly as the joke was replayed over and over. He still couldn't find any part of the scenario funny though, endlessly not saving Dean. Yeah, the joke was on him but death's countdown was still shadowing Dean.

He could do this. Sam just had to remind himself every now and again not to panic. The mind numbing fear seemed to hit him when he'd least expected it over the past two days since Brower County. It was always the little things that set him off, a dog barking, looking at a blackboard menu in some run down diner and sometimes just Dean being out of sight. His imagination was wicked inventive it seemed.

"Hey, you up for this?" Dean spoke softly unable to maintain the silence any longer. He sure as hell hated seeing his brother like this, so withdrawn, so unsure. "We can take some more time if you need. I mean, it's only been a coupla days since…if you need time to sort through this I get it Sam."

"I'm fine Dean. We can't, you know we can't afford to wait. I just wish we could work out what was killing these kids. There's no history I can find for anything unusual about the town or how they were killed. The only thing they have in common is their High School but I can't find anything about the school that explains this - whatever this is."

"That first guy that ran into the train…"

"Apparently just drove straight into it at a crossing. The witness claimed the car didn't slow down or swerve at all. "

"Yeah. Well we should check out this witness. He also thought there was someone else in the car but they only found the one body."

"Okay…" Sam rifled through the notes he had made. "Aidan Croft, seventeen. Only child, lived here all his life, average student, basketball team and recently suspended for smoking on school grounds."

"Just your average teenager. Why the hell would he want to play chicken with a train? I mean if there was no pattern, it'd be just another case of rebel gone wrong."

"Yeah I guess, but the stakes were pretty high Dean. If you mess with a forty car freight train well…" Sam shrugged, not really understanding the whole rebel without a cause thing anyway.

"You got an address on this witness?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well what d'you think, reliable or not?"

"I honestly don't know." Sam shrugged, looking over the top of the car as his brother leaned on the open driver's door. "Either way, it doesn't exactly help us work out what this is or why this kid died. I think he believes he saw something but…"

"Yeah I know, back to square one."

They had talked to the passerby who had witnessed the shocking accident. He still seemed shaken up as they had expected but was quite adamant about a second person in the car. Unfortunately he hadn't been able to be very specific about a description of the other person.

"So I guess the morgue next?"

"Yeah, I think we'd better check for ourselves." Dean sighed as he settled back in the driver's seat, fingers absently tapping on the wheel. He'd purposely left the music off, it seemed to make Sam withdraw even more as though it drowned out any motivation he had to talk above it.

"Why don't I drop you off…?"

"I'm coming with you Dean. I'm not gonna…I can deal with this okay."

Sam hated losing control. He hated the fact that in reality he didn't know when he was going to be almost paralysed with fear that Dean was about to die. His brother had enough to worry about, he didn't need this burden as well as a ticket to hell. After all, an orderly schedule with hell was so much better than imminent death by random. Irony just didn't even cover it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean flashed his badge along with the smile that melted the resolve of any woman between the cradle and the grave. "Detective Hetfield and this is my partner Detective Ulrich."

Sam held his badge up with a nod and a smile that was duly ignored in favour of his sibling. He couldn't help the small grin as he watched Dean effortlessly work his charms.

"Well Christie, we need to view the remains of Aidan Croft, Chris Millpond and Anna Bourke. We've been asked to do a follow up report by the local sheriff. I'm sure you'd be able to point us in the right direction."

Christie would have been in her mid thirties but blushed like a schoolgirl under Dean's gaze. "Aidan Croft was buried yesterday but the other two are still here. Oh those poor kids, it's so sad. I mean they weren't exactly angels but you wouldn't want anything like this…" She shook her head.

"Did you know them?" Sam questioned.

"Me? No I didn't know them but I know of them."

"What do you mean?" Dean's voice held a telltale hint of frustration.

"Well Anna and Chris both have father's running major businesses in this town. And then Aidan Walker he was the Mayor's son. The poor little rich kids. I mean it was just a saying, every town's got them."

"Yes it has." Dean nodded knowingly. "So…?"

"Down this corridor then third door on your left, the Coroner works between a coupla towns but I can give you his number if you need to talk with him. His assistant can show you what you need, I'll ring through and let him know you're on your way."

"So something's killing off the poor little rich kids." Dean spoke in a low voice as they walked away from Christie's desk.

"Well it's a start. Maybe this has more to do with the parents unless Christie was making it up to impress you." Sam couldn't help himself.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time Sammy. I just don't know my own power sometimes."

They entered the small office off the corridor and were given copies of the autopsy reports then led through a set of doors and into the morgue. The assistant was a dour looking man who seemed to blend perfectly with the cold, stark atmosphere of the room and excused himself gruffly at the first opportunity.

"I think maybe he needs a lesson or two on personality."

"Probably be wasted on him in here Dean. Have you noticed where we are?"

"Yeah I guess his conversational skills don't get a lot of use." Dean paused to draw back the sheet on the first body. "Oh man, he really did eat dirt."

Sam looked through the report. "Well it pretty much backs up the article we found. The boy was found dead in his front garden with dirt in his mouth. Except the autopsy also found dirt in his stomach and lungs meaning he was basically force fed until he choked. Oh God there were earthworms in there too."

"Nasty. Hey look at this." Dean pointed to the bruises covering the boys jaw and chest.

Sam peered closer. "It looks odd. It's like a blue colour, what would do that?"

"Don't know, let's check the other one."

Dean draped the sheet back in place and slid the tray in before moving to the second body.

"Damn she looks so young." Dean shook his head at the pretty girl on the slab before them.

"She was, they all were Dean. Look she's got the same marks across her shoulders." Sam pulled a face then reluctantly pressed a finger on the discoloured skin. "It feels hard, I don't think it's bruising."

Dean moved the sheet down, following the line of colour and revealing a neat set of stitches across the girl's chest.

"I know this was a knife attack Sam but what exactly is the official cause of death?"

Sam skimmed down the pages to the summary statement. "The heart…the heart was removed while it was still beating." Sam glanced up at his brother. "They found the heart in her hand."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean pulled into the High School visitor's car park and they walked up the stairs to the main door. It was Friday and from the number of student's milling around outside the classrooms it was break time.

"What's wrong?" Sam noticed Dean hesitating as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Man, the whole High School thing, I don't deal well with teachers. God what if we have to see the Principal?"

"You're kidding? My awesome big brother, who sledges it out with demons, vampires, ghosts and other evil nasties is scared to see the High School Principal?"

"No I'm not scared. Just, just uncomfortable. You know awkward…like you and girls."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Don't go changing the subject here Dean. If you want me to deal with the big bad Principal all you've gotta do is ask."

Dean punched his brother's arm. Hard. He knew he was going to hear more on this and mentally kicked himself for providing the ammunition. Although seeing Sam relax for a minute was almost worth it.

Almost.

They followed the signs to the office and after showing their credentials were quickly moved into an inner office to wait for the Deputy Principal.

Sam watched as his brother paced nervously, unable to stop from fidgeting. "Dean we're not in trouble, you gotta relax or it'll look like we have done something wrong."

"What, you mean like show fake ID's that say we're officers of the law?"

"Yeah, you're gonna give us away. Now you're making me nervous. Did you get in that much trouble at school? I don't remember…"

"No I was just a victim of circumstance, wrong …"

Dean cut his reply short as the door opened and a short, balding man entered and shook hands, introducing himself as David Riley.

"How can I help you Detectives? I thought we had covered everything already with the Sheriff."

"We just have a few follow up questions sir, we need to make sure all aspects of this case are covered. I'm sure you understand, given the unusual circumstances." Sam spoke with a quiet assurance.

"Oh of course. Everyone is still a little on edge though. I mean Aidan's death was a tragedy but the thought that Anna and Chris were murdered and the killer is still out there, well I'm sure I don't need to tell you about it. What did you need today?"

"An up to date class list would be good and is there a Year Advisor we could speak with, get some general information from?"

"Yes that would be Mrs Halloway, I'll check her schedule if you'll just wait here." He rose to leave the room.

"What did you think of these kids?" Dean voice seemed to freeze the Deputy Principal in mid stride before he recovered enough to turn and face the brothers.

"Well my personal opinion isn't really relevant is it? Kids will be kids, that doesn't mean something like this should happen to them." He shrugged.

"Off the record, what were they like? I mean getting busted for smoking is more your cool, wanna be behavior. Were they a problem?"

"Off the record they were a bit of a handful, all of them. There's a group of about eight, well down to five now I guess. Every school's got their antagonists and we deal with them but you understand our hands are tied unless we have proof or complaints. They didn't deserve to be murdered." He turned and walked out the door before either brother could comment.

Dean looked over at Sam. "I think we need to find out about these other five kids."

"You think they're targets?"

"Maybe. Jesus, I don't know Sam. There was no sulphur residue on the bodies, no EMF and I'm running out of ideas. What if, if this is some sicko, something human doing this? "

"What about the marks we found on the bodies?"

The door to the office opened and David Riley waved them towards him. "Come this way Detectives, Mrs Halloway is waiting in her office.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They had split up after speaking with the Year Advisor. Sam going to check attendance and disciplinary records of the victims while Dean checked out the Home Room and around the school.

"Remember we're not supposed to talk to the students without a teacher. Just stay low key okay, subtle. Dean?"

"Yeah, yeah I got it. See you back at the car in thirty." Dean waved his hand as he walked off down the hall. "Behave yourself Sammy."

Sam shook his head watching his brother walk away. Dean was a lot of things but rarely subtle, he wasn't wired that way. He grinned and turned back to the room of files he had been shown and got to work.

Time had gotten away from him as he checked through the boxed folders in the storeroom. The school was in the process of upgrading their computerised record system and had fallen behind with any recent updates. At least there were no access codes or security that prevented him from checking details of the other names in the group that Mrs Halloway had provided.

Sam checked his watch and quickly shoved the notebook and pen in his jacket pocket, hesitating as he looked at the folders he hadn't read. There were quite a few incidents recorded with these kids and he wondered whether Dean had gleaned any other interesting details.

He was within sight of the exit when he heard it. The loud crack that made him stop his movement and his breathing simultaneously. Then his legs began running before he realised, and he darted around the few students between him and the door.

This was blind panic, total and absolute.

He was going insane. It was a combination of factors but in reality, just cause you knew it was happening didn't mean you could stop it. Sam felt his throat tightening as he pressed himself against the warm bricks and tried to breathe. He clenched his shaking hands as he focused on his brother getting into the car. Dean was fine.

Dean was fine. It wasn't Tuesday. And his hands clawed his skin to make sure there was no wound on his stomach.

_tbc…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Sticks and Stones**

**Chapter 2**

Dean walked down the nearly empty hall, half a grin on his face at his brother's plea to be subtle. Sam would actually be mortified if he knew Dean's objective was to shake the tree a little and see what fell out.

He wandered down to the classroom that served as the Home Room for the group that Mrs Halloway had described as a little forceful. Dean knew it was politically correct teacher speak for school bullies. Maybe they had taken things a little too far and there had been a mutiny in the ranks or one of their victims was getting even. Unless they found a supernatural link, this hunt was pretty much a bust and the local law would have to sort it out. The only thing that didn't sit right was the odd blue bruising that had marked the bodies.

Dean found the Home Room empty and locked so it took him a couple of minutes to gain entry and sweep the room for residual EMF. Nothing. Nothing sinister at all unless he counted the amateur artwork or creepy looking ceramic fish that adorned the room. He visibly shuddered and made a quick exit when he came across the countless copies of Wuthering Heights lying as if in wait on the shelf adjacent to the door.

As he headed towards the noise of an outside area, his attention was caught by voices and laughter coming out of the boy's toilets. Hesitating briefly outside, he was surprised to hear a girl's voice as well.

"Poor widdle Adam. Karl can teach you how to swim."

"C'mon Adam let's see how long you can hold your breath. One Mississippi…"

As Dean opened the door, a toilet flushed and someone began coughing and spluttering amidst the laugher.

"Hey, let him go." Dean walked forward and steadied the boy that had been on his knees, head down the toilet. "You idiots think this is funny?"

""Hell yeah." A voice behind him piped up. "You're not a teacher, so what's it to you?"

Dean flashed his badge. "No definitely not a teacher but maybe your parents might want to know about your little joke.

"It's only having a little fun, isn't it Adam?"

"Yeah Adam you don't mind hanging out with us. Do you?"

Dean looked at the boy standing in the middle of the group, hair wet and clinging to his head as he looked around nervously. "Yeah. Yeah we're just having some fun."

"What, you're just gonna let them get away with this? You know they won't stop." His look of disgust was evident as he shook his head. "Unless one of them is next on the hit list."

"Why would you say that? You mean what happened to Anna and Chris?"

"Shut up Liz. Why would that have anything to do with us?"

"Cause they were our friends Mikey, you've known them all you life. God how can you pretend like it doesn't matter?"

"Now you see Mikey is it? If you can't stand by your own friends then really, what's the point of it all? If you think you know something, now would be a good time to tell me. Otherwise I guess you might wanna watch your backs." Dean sounded bored as though he was discussing nothing more important than the weather.

"Isn't that your job?" The other girl spoke, not sounding so confident.

"Well we can only do our best - what was your name?"

"Beech."

Dean smiled and grabbed a notebook out of her hands and wrote on the first blank page. "In the meantime Beech, if you think of anything let me know."

He walked to the door and held it open. "Now get outta here."

Dean watched as the kids filed past him and disappeared down the corridor. He shook his head as Adam slunk past a little behind the group, head down and wet hair falling down across his face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

The boy hesitated at the exit and then headed in the opposite direction to the others. Wise choice, was all Dean could think as he checked his watch. The kid had victim written all over him from the geeky haircut down to the complete lack of confidence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The crisp air was a stark contrast to the almost stale warmth of the school corridors and Dean flicked his collar up against the wind. As he reached the Impala an engine coughed and a small cloud of smoke erupted from the student's car park and he turned to watch the commotion. He couldn't help the grimace as a backfire echoed through the air to cheers and applause from onlookers as the driver of a battered old sedan tried to turn over the engine.

'Don't worry baby, never gonna happen to you." Patting the roof of the car he slid into the driver's seat and closed the door. Glancing up towards the school, he was surprised to see Sam come charging out and then stop in his tracks. Even at this distance he could see the panic on his brother's face. He hand was opening the door but as Sam finally began to move down the stairs without further alarm he sat back and waited.

He knew what this was about. He knew Sam wouldn't want to talk about it. For some reason, his younger brother seemed to think he shouldn't bring it up, couldn't talk to him about the fact that this was haunting him. Watching Sam shut down each time he went through this was heartbreaking to Dean. Especially when he knew it was gonna happen for real and when it did, Sam really would have to go through it alone.

"Hey." Dean glanced across as Sam folded himself into the car and sat, jaw clenched.

"Any leads?'

"Sam you okay?"

Sam began tapping his hand on his knee. "So I take it no leads."

"Sam you've just got to give yourself some time man, just don't shut me out."

"I panicked okay but I'm fine now, really. We need to check through these though so can we go back to the motel?" Sam pulled some pages out of his jacket and tried to smooth out the creases.

"Y'know you could get expelled for stealing school records?" Dean smiled.

"Yeah well I guess I'm just living on the edge." Sam smiled but his voice held no humour.

Dean bit back on the words that wanted to escape his lips. He knew when to pick his battles and this was gonna be a no win. He drove back to the motel wishing things weren't always so fucked up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean stirred. He was aware of something out of place and he listened without moving in the darkness.

Sam.

He contemplated giving his brother privacy but this was getting out of hand. He sat up, rubbing a hand through his hair as he listened to his brother heaving his guts up in the bathroom.

Dean placed a hand on his brother's shoulder feeling the tremors that shook his body.

"Just breathe Sam, it's okay." Dean felt muscles tense and then relax as Sam's breathing hitched and he leant slightly into Dean's hand.

Neither boy spoke as Dean guided Sam back to his bed. There was nothing for this situation that words could even begin to cover. Dean lay on his back staring into the darkness.

Sam closed his eyes. His fingers searched down his ribs and stomach for a bullet wound. Just to make sure.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"C'mon Sam I can't sit here any longer and I need real coffee." Dean threw half a cold cup of instant coffee flavoured muck down the small sink in their room and grabbed his keys and jacket. "And breakfast."

"Sounds good." Sam followed his brother out the door, glancing back at the disarray of the room. He ignored the fleeting urge to go back in and clean it up, it was supposed to look like this. It meant they existed here and now. It meant this was real.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean was a little on edge, he couldn't help it. Out of years of habit he had pulled into the first decent looking diner he had seen. It wasn't until they had walked in the door and he saw the blackboard menu that he realised it was a trigger. He glanced at Sam but didn't say anything, casually finding a booth at the back of the room.

"Dean," Sam sighed and gave him half a grin. "It's okay y'know. We're never gonna be able to get away from them, blackboard menus are like a part of our lives."

"Yeah Sam. Why the hell couldn't you be worried about something we don't deal with, like fairy floss and garden gnomes?"

Sam froze and looked at him, eyes wide.

"No way." Dean shook his head. "How the hell…?"

"Kidding, I'm kidding."

Dean visibly relaxed. It was a relief to hear Sam sounding like Sam again, even though he knew it was being put on for his benefit. He was still grateful.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Y'know I've been thinking…," Dean spoke around a mouthful of food. "Those files you stole pretty much confirm what everyone doesn't want to come out and say. These kids do what they want, say what they want and no one touches them cause their parents are too high profile. This has gotta be about revenge."

"Yeah you're probably right but is it revenge against the parents or the kids? If we could work out what caused those marks…it was almost like frostbite but I can't find anything that would cause it."

"I think it might be worth paying a visit to their latest victim at least – flush boy. Maybe get a little more insight on this group. Adam um something, well there couldn't be too many Adam's on the list."

Seven minutes later. "Dean there are four Adams on this class list, what do you suggest?"

"Well we'll have to visit each one I guess. I'm not gonna know him 'till I see him."

"That'll work."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was the third house on the list. A small neat cottage, the epitome of suburbia with the trimmed lawns, neat garden and white picket fence.

"Man this is just creepy." Dean groused as they walked up the footpath to the door.

"Dean it's not creepy, it's just…normal." Sam looked around at the perfect picture postcard scene. "Yeah actually you're right, it is a little creepy."

Dean rang the bell. It only took a minute before the door opened and the Adam he recognised was peering at them from behind his long fringe.

"Hi Adam, I'm the Detective you met yesterday at school. I'm Dean and this is my partner Sam. Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"I guess but my parents aren't home so I can't let you in."

"That's fine. We just want to ask you about those kids that were hassling you yesterday. What's the deal with them?"

"The deal? You just don't mess with them okay. They just rough you up a bit, maybe make you do their work for a bit. If you just…if you just go along they move on."

"You mean they find someone else to bully?" Sam spoke up.

"Yeah I guess. I don't care as long as it's not me."

"Look we get it okay but if no one speaks up it's just gonna go on. Sometimes you've just gotta stand up for yourself." Dean couldn't help himself.

"Adam do you know anything about the deaths of Anna Bourke and Chris Millpond? Did you hear anyone talking about getting back at them? Anything like that?"

The boy looked back at Sam with a smirk. "What you think I did something to them?" He laughed.

"If you couldn't stop them flushing your head down the toilet, I doubt you'd have the…"

"No Adam." Sam interjected. "We just wondered if you'd heard anyone talking, y'know boasting about getting even. That sort of thing."

"No. The only fights they have are with each other. I mean no one else says anything cause they always find out and it's just not worth it. They always make you pay."

"Do you know where they hang out after school?"

The boy hesitated for a moment before speaking. "They usually hang around Kramer Park but it's probably too cold so you could try Getty's Diner on Forsythe Street. Just, just don't tell them I told you."

"We won't and thanks."

"Listen if you hear anything else, let us know."

"Yeah sure." Adam glanced at the piece of paper Dean handed him and closed the door.

"Well that went well." Dean loosened his tie as they walked back to the car.

"Dean the kids scared."

"Yeah Sam I know but there's not a lot we can do about that."

"Maybe we'd better look at who's got a grudge against the parents."

"Okay we've got a coupla hours to start checking but tonight Sammy, we dine at Getty's. God I hope they've got pie."

"Oh great, another diner." Sam said quietly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam sat facing his brother in a small booth halfway between the door and the cash register. A pile of empty plates rose between them and Dean's hand occasionally picked at a stray crumb. Their research into the parents and businesses had been a total bust so far but at least there hadn't been any more deaths.

Sam drained the last of his coffee and sighed when the burnt end of a french fry hit his jacket and fell in his lap. Dean was obviously bored. He momentarily toyed with the idea of just picking up the ketchup bottle and squirting it, he grinned absently as he imagined Dean's look of surprise. It would almost be worth it but then again Dean was pretty vindictive when it came to payback.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

"Okay laughing boy if you're not gonna share the joke how bout we clear outta here. Over three freakin hours and all they're doing is talking. Besides I don't think I could eat anything else."

They left the booth, Dean heading out the door to remain unnoticed while Sam paid for their meals. Walking quickly in the cold night air they crossed the road and headed down the block a little to the car, Sam glanced back at the diner as he opened his door and sat down.

'Dean they're leaving. Wait, there's only two of them."

"Looks liked they're heading for a car. Okay we split up, you hang around and see what the others do, I'll follow…"

"No." Sam stared straight ahead out the windscreen.

"Sam?"

He shook his head. "No Dean, we're not splitting up on this. No."

"Okay, we'll follow these two." Dean watched the small blue car pull out into the sparse traffic and slid in to follow them staying several cars behind. They probably shouldn't even be working this job, not the way his brother was too easily spooked. At least this way he could keep an eye on Sam.

The traffic thinned as they headed for the outskirts of town and Dean had to pull further back to avoid suspicion. He hit the brakes as the traffic signal turned red and several young couples began to cross in front of them, their breath visible as they laughed and ran to keep warm. The road ahead was empty by the time the light turned green and Dean cursed as he looked for signs of the car.

Sam had pulled a street map out and was trying to read it with a small torch from the glove compartment. "Take the second left, we're close enough to Kramer Park, maybe they headed there."

"Worth a shot."

Dean followed Sam's directions until they came to a large grassed area complete with playground and seating. The play area was bordered by concrete paths that meandered through garden beds and a small wooden bridge led to what seemed to be an open field. The road bordered the park on two sides, giving enough light to see the playground was empty.

"Over there, I think it's a car." Sam pointed over to the edge of the road as he leant forward squinting into the darkness.

Sure enough the little blue car had been pulled off the road and onto the grass along the edge of the tree line.

"Y'know Sam you realise we're probably gonna be walking in on a make out session. This could get a little awkward for them."

"For them? I'm not exactly looking forward to this either Dean but I don't see what choice we have here."

Dean made a face as he stopped to open the trunk. "Well it's not my idea of a good time either Sam. They're seventeen for Gods sake."

"I guess, well maybe they won't be doing that much."

"You're kidding me Sam? What exactly do you think a seventeen year old boy would be thinking of coming out here? Never mind." He held out a gun and a flashlight.

"Salt rounds?"

"Yeah just in case. Unless you got any better ideas?"

"Salt's good."

Dean closed the trunk, tucking the gun in his waistband as they cautiously moved towards the car.

Sam coughed loudly, twice, just before Dean shone the light in the backseat. Empty.

"Man we're all gonna freeze our asses off. I hope they're enjoying themselves."

"Well at least it's too cold to be taking clothes off." Sam sounded almost hopeful as they walked across the wooden planks that bridged the small stream.

Sam walked along the top level of the embankment as Dean walked adjacent to the stream, scanning the lower ground for any signs of the teenagers. Dean hoped these two were just making out, they were too young to be messing around with black magic or demon rituals. He could deal with protecting the little shits but he didn't know how he'd feel about having to stop them if they were responsible for this mess. They were just kids.

"Dean there's a light, someone moving in the trees over there." Sam started running as Dean came up the slope to follow.

A girl's scream pierced the air further down along the stream making Dean veer off in that direction. He saw Sam stop at the sound but there was no telling who was out there and they needed to know. "Keep going Sam, just be careful."

"Dean…?"

"We don't know enough to risk it Sam, we need to check both. Go!" Dean didn't stop as he yelled over at his brother, relieved when he could see Sam's flashlight moving again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean rang along the stream as fast as he dared with only a beam of light showing him where to tread. He could already feel cold water soaking the bottom of his jeans as he ran. Another scream almost in front of him made him jump as a body almost hurtled into him, then screamed hysterically as he clamped down on the flailing arms.

"Hey, it's alright you're safe. What's wrong, where's the boy you were with?"

"Someone's got Karl, they've got him." She was still screaming, her hands pulling against Dean's grip.

"Who's got him?"

"I don't know, I couldn't see him. A guy, some guy but he was strong. Please you've gotta help him."

"Stay here." Dean stripped off his jacket and threw it over the girl.

He ran on finally hearing splashes in front of him as his flashlight picked up two figures in the water.

"Can you swim Karl?"

As Dean approached, he recognised Karl as his head was brought up from the water struggling feebly with his hands held behind his back. A boyish laugh followed as Karl's head was pushed down again as the dark figure looked straight at Dean. "Two Mississippi."

"Let him go." Dean threw his flashlight and gun on the bank, and jumped into the stream which was only knee deep, closing the distance and grabbing the attacker by his shoulders. He still couldn't get a look at the kids face in the darkness but was surprised when the boy wrenched out of his grip leaving Karl to fall forward into the water.

Dean grabbed Karl's hoodie and pulled him back over to the bank, laying him on the grass where he started to cough and splutter. The attacker was nowhere to be seen.

"Karl? Hey Karl can you hear me?" Dean glanced nervously around.

"Shit. Shit he tried to drown me."

"Who was it, did you see who it was?" Dean held his hand out to the boy, hoping he could walk. He had to get Karl and his girlfriend out of here and find Sam and this killer kid.

Dean was surprised to find himself pulled backwards. As he hit the freezing water and went under, the shock stole his breath and numbed his brain. Panic came next as he flailed his arms and found his feet, pushing himself up out of the water coughing and spluttering.

"Behind you."

He swung around at the warning and was met with an iron fist around his collar, not believing this smaller boy in front of him could possibly be this strong. "Karl go. Get outta here."

"Yeah Karl, I'll catch up with you later."

The voice sounded so young but Dean still couldn't make out any features in the near darkness. It was though the boys face was covered in shadow.

"What the hell are you?" Dean ground out as he swung a fist, connecting solidly with the side of its face. He watched in surprise as the hit had little or no effect and the chokehold remained solid as he pushed his own hands against it to try and loosen the grip.

"I think you need a lesson as well. Sometimes you've just gotta stand up for yourself haven't you? Can you swim Dean?"

Dean was dropped to his knees when a fist crashed into his back. He barely had time to inhale when a hand on the back of his neck pushed him down with such force his head hit the bottom of the rock strewn stream bed. He felt his body go slack and then the burn of ice water in his mouth and throat.

His head was pulled out above the water and he gasped in the frigid air as he tried to fight out of the hold. Dean knew he was running out of time, his legs were almost numb and his arms were screaming from being pulled behind his back. Instead he felt it close to his ear, one hand back on his neck.

"I think we'll set the record this time, so you'd better take a deep breath."

Dean let himself sag forward a little then brought his head back with as much force as he could muster. He heard the satisfying crunch as his head connected with the face behind him. There was no release of pressure though as his arms were jerked up, and a vicious punch landed in his side. He wanted to double over but instead his hair was pulled back, making the burn worse.

With a last burst of energy, Dean tried to push his arms back into his assailant but knew he was done when the hand returned to the back of his neck. As his head was thrown down into the coldness again he hardly felt the impact this time as his face hit the bottom and darkness claimed him.

_tbc…_


	3. Chapter 3

Sticks and Stones

**Sticks and Stones**

_a/n: Thanx to those that have reviewed. Your angst enthusiasm is making me rethink this story…_

_lb._

**Chapter 3**

Sam ran towards the light bobbing through the trees. He hated this but he knew Dean was right. They had no way of knowing who needed help so they had to split up, couldn't risk someone getting hurt.

Dean could get hurt.

There were kids out here and something was killing them. He didn't want anyone to die cause he was afraid.

Dean could die.

Sam gritted his teeth against the unwelcome thoughts swirling around in his head. He had to focus and do his job and his brother did not need him to fall apart right now. He couldn't let Dean down.

The light was just up ahead of him and then it was gone. He turned his flashlight off and stood still, just listening. The wind had picked up and moved through the trees, rustling branches and making the night air seem colder. He heard the definite snap of twigs underfoot and crept forward. He thought he could hear a soft voice, the words lost in the wind.

The shadow of a figure looked down over the edge of the embankment. Sam was sure he heard a boy's voice and figured he must have found one of the kids they had followed. He was watching something over the edge.

"Hey, are you alright? We heard someone call out for help."

The boy turned and stumbled, falling on hands and knees but climbed to his feet and ran off before Sam reached the edge and looked over. Any thoughts he had of following the boy were swept away.

"Dean!"

Sam hit the slope running, the uneven ground jarring his ankles and legs but not slowing him down as he headed for the discarded light on the ground. He didn't pause when he reached the water, wading in and dropping down, grabbing fistfuls of shirt and arms to move the half submerged body out of the icy water. He placed his brother on the ground and had trouble taking his eyes off the pale and bloodied face illuminated by the dim torchlight.

"Dean? C'mon on wake up." Sam grabbed a wrist and tried to feel for a pulse but his own hands were already too numb. He lifted his brother's shirts out of the way and put his hand over Dean's heart. It was there, the faint thrum of a heartbeat.

He had to think, check for breathing as well. As Sam gripped around Dean's stomach to move him, his brother coughed then began choking.

"It's okay, s'okay, s'okay." Sam rolled Dean on his side and held on as his brother coughed water, gagging and gasping for breath.

Sam leaned over, brushing a hand across his brother's face. He was so cold, too cold. Sam stared for a second at the blood on his hand then checked the cuts across Dean's forehead and down one side of his face. He shrugged off his own jacket and wrapped it around his brother's shoulders.

"Is he alright? He saved us."

Sam jumped at the voice and then realised the young couple were standing there, waiting for him to take control. They were just kids and he was supposed to know what to do except he didn't. All he could do was breathe and hold on to his brother.

He's…he's hurt. I need to get him to the car."

"Is he gone?"

"What?"

"That boy, is he gone?"

"Um yeah. He's gone, he ran off."

Sam stood and was able to get Dean over his shoulder after checking that his brother's breathing was steady. The two kids, Sam hadn't even gotten their names, walked in front with the flashlights and clutched each others hands until they reached the Impala. The boy went to open the back door but Sam indicated the front. He gently sat his brother in the seat rearranging his jacket over Dean's shoulders and covering him with some blankets he'd grabbed from the backseat.

"Here, he needs it back." The girl held out Dean's leather jacket which Sam took and placed across his brother's chest.

"That thing, it wasn't a boy was it?"

Sam hesitated. "I don't know but we'll find out okay. That's what we do."

"It didn't have a face."

Sam was a little confused but needed to leave, look after his brother. "We'll figure this out and stop it, I promise. Look I have to go – are you two alright? Can you drive?"

"Yeah I can drive." The girl spoke up.

"Good. Just be careful and don't go off alone till we figure this out."

The couple nodded and walked back over to their car, still clinging to each other. Sam watched them get in and drive off, at least they were safe for the moment. He started the car and put the heater on, hoping it would help warm Dean up**. **

Sam's hands shook on the wheel as he weighed up whether Dean needed a hospital, the risk of too many questions versus his brother's wellbeing. He opted for their motel, for the moment at least. They didn't know what had done this and he could protect his brother better at the motel as long as Dean didn't get any worse. Salt lines, guns and holy water didn't always mix well with hospital staff.

Sam felt again for Dean's heartbeat, holding his breath until the rhythm pulsed beneath his fingers. "You're gonna be okay Dean."

He started the car, one arm holding his brother against his shoulder so he could watch him. He didn't want to risk Dean silently choking in the backseat while he drove. He felt Dean's body start to shake and although it might mean the start of shock or hypothermia at least it meant he was alive

'Dean? Dean can you hear me?"

"C…cold." Barely audible but it didn't matter.

"I know, just hang on and I'll get you warm okay. Just hang on Dean."

Sam didn't remember driving back to the motel. He certainly wasn't aware that his hand briefly left the wheel to check under his shirt for a bullet wound or that he repeated three words under his breath for the entire trip.

"It's not Tuesday."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean stirred again as Sam was getting him out of the car. A low moan but it was a start, it was something. He had already opened the motel room door and kicked it closed after him then bent over and placed Dean on his bed, throwing their jackets over a chair.

Sam didn't know exactly what had happened to him but he knew he had to start getting his brother warm and he switched the room heater on, turning the dial on high.

He stripped off Dean's outer shirts and peeled the soaked t-shirt off, stopping to wrap the bed quilt around his brother's bare torso while he peeled off the rest of the soaked clothing. He noticed bruises already coming out on the back and ribs of the shaking body in his arms. By the time he had Dean dressed again, his brother began showing signs of consciousness.

"Dean, Dean you with me?" Sam wanted to scream, do something, anything that would take away this rising dread he felt trying to claw its way up from his chest. Anything that would undo Dean being hurt.

"Sm?"

"Yeah Dean, its Sam I'm here. You gonna be alright, you hear me?" Sam placed his hand over Dean's heart again. He was still too cold and the tremors were shaking through his whole body now. Sam piled the quilt and blankets from his own bed over his brother and turned the kettle on, rummaging around in their supplies for some hot chocolate.

He moved a chair by the bed and filled a container with warm water while he waited for the kettle to boil. Squeezing a washcloth in the warm water, he started to wipe away the blood from Dean's face and noticed a blue mark under his brother's jaw. The mark was cold to touch and felt slightly hard, just like frostbite. Just like the marks they had seen on the bodies.

Sam placed the warm cloth over the mark and began searching for more. It didn't take him long to find marks across Dean's exposed forearms and around the back of his neck. Using scissors he cut up a spare clean towel and he quickly covered each blue tinged score with the warmed material.

"Sam? God, what…what happened?" Dean opened his eyes and tried to sit up clutching his head and falling back against the pillow. "Shit. My head…hurts. You?"

"I'm fine. You were attacked Dean. I found you, you weren't, I thought…you weren't…" Sam shook his head and took a breath. "You were in the water face down. You've got those marks on you, it's like they're frozen. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No. Don't think so. I remember…Karl and the girl did you find them? Are they alright?" He managed to prop himself up on one elbow and Sam moved a pillow under his back.

"Yeah they helped me get you out, they were scared and cold but okay. I didn't get it Dean, I didn't even see what attacked you. All I found was a boy watching from up in the trees and then he ran and that's when I saw you."

"I thought it was a boy at first but this was something else. I mean, I was up close and personal with it and, and I still couldn't see its face. It was strong though and it felt cold. It was saying something but…" Dean closed his eyes as a violent shudder took his breath away and seemed to tear and pull at his already hurting body.

"Dean? Hey, c'mon just breathe. Slow and steady, just breathe. Hey, stay with me."

An ache that began in his chest and lungs soon caught in his throat and turned into a spluttering, gasping cough. As he finally caught his breath he clung to it as long as he could but Sam's voice faded away to nothing.

When he opened his eyes he was lying down on his side and Sam was leaning over him, jaw clamped shut and eyes wide. He felt warmth on the back of his neck and arms which made sense when he saw Sam placing a cloth across his shoulder. It took him another few seconds to realise what the warm weight over his chest was and then he understood from the almost wild look in his brother's eyes.

"Hey. How long?" Dean rasped out, he just wanted to close his eyes again.

"Bout twenty minutes." Sam looked away, moving his hand from Dean's heart and stood up.

"Huh. Feel tired Sammy."

'Try and drink this first, just something warm and some painkillers. Think you can sit up for a minute?"

Dean nodded and let himself be helped upright against the pillows. He grimaced as the movement made his neck and back ache, made his head swim.

"Take it slow Dean. These marks on you are like frostbite and they're gonna hurt more as they warm up okay." Sam put a warm cup in his brother's hand waiting to make sure he could grip it, before handing him some tablets.

"My hands aren't hurt and I touched it, tried to push it off. I…I can't remember what it looked like Sam. God, I can't think…" Dean shook his head, squeezing his eyes closed in frustration when his brain wouldn't focus. The urge to sleep was suddenly overwhelming and he could feel himself sagging.

Sam took the half empty cup from his brother's hand, placing it on the table and then sitting back in the bedside chair. "You nearly drowned in freezing water Dean and you've hit your head, you need to rest now. We'll work the rest out in the morning."

"You hurt Sam?" Dean tried to focus on the face beside him until he heard the reply.

"No Dean I'm not hurt. Go to sleep." He spoke quietly, watching his brother's eyelids already drooping as his breathing deepened. He still felt for a pulse though, not ready to accept that Dean was just sleeping, exhausted. It was strong and steady.

Sam's hand ran wearily through his own still damp hair as he slumped in the chair, trembling from weariness and soaked clothes that he hadn't bothered to change. Death, real or imagined seemed to loom at every turn threatening to take his brother.

It should have kept him instead.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean's hand brushed absently at his neck, turning his head further into the pillow as he tried to move away from the source of his annoyance. His fingers caught in the lukewarm damp cloth and he pulled at it until it came away, sleep hazed eyes taking a minute to register what he held.

Cautiously moving his upper body he turned and raised one shoulder until he could rest his weight on an elbow. The pull and raw feeling on his neck and arms was uncomfortable but manageable although coffee and Ibuprofen sounded like a good plan. He also realised he was almost buried under a mountain of blankets.

He peered over at the other bed through the dimness and saw with growing concern it was empty. Unused. The vacant chair beside him cast a dull shadow across his pillow as the grey morning light seeped through the window on the far side of the room. He straightened his elbow, sitting up and peering around then got slowly out of bed.

Sam was propped up against the far wall, facing both the bed and door with a rifle lying across his lap, legs outstretched across the floor. Dean noticed the salt lines across the door and window.

His brother's eyes were closed, arms folded across his body and as Dean moved closer he noticed Sam was still dressed in the same rumpled clothes from yesterday.

"Sammy." Dean shook him gently, recoiling in shock at how cold his brother was, cold and soaked.

The dark eyes that opened in fright looked at him without recognition for several seconds before blinking slowly as his brother frowned, still making no move.

"Dean? What're you doing out of bed?" The voice was ragged, a little confused. "You got hurt."

"C'mon Sam you need to get up and get in the shower. C'mon stand up." Dean laid the rifle on the floor, gripped his brother's arm and pulled as Sam tried to get his legs under him, half falling against the wall in the process.

Dean began tugging at the damp shirt sleeve until Sam pulled away, one hand still balanced against the wall. "Don't okay. I'm fine."

"Jesus Sam you're not fine. You've gotta look after yourself, you're gonna get sick. It's been hours and you're freezing."

"I'll live."

Dean frowned at his brother's current shivering state, noting how Sam's hand moved back across his torso before he moved slowly across the room and sat on the end of his bed. He turned and watched as Sam managed to shrug his pullover off and began fumbling with his bootlaces. His hands obviously lacking in body heat to muster the motor skills required for the task.

"I know you'll live jackass but unless you get warmed up I'm gonna have to put up with you bitching about feeling sick." Dean bent down, his bruised back and side twinging, and knocked Sam's hands out of the way to undo the laces and take his brother's boots off. He grimaced removing the socks which felt like ice and were heavy with water.

"Are you alright?" Sam hands worked at the buttons on his overshirt.

"Yeah Sam, your feet are just gross." Dean stood and watched as Sam finally got one button undone then took over in frustration. "Just move your hands."

He was angry at Sam for not looking after himself but also angry at himself for getting hurt. He had made himself vulnerable, discarding his weapon so he wouldn't hurt a kid which wasn't a kid after all.

And as an added bonus, Sam had been spooked before but this had obviously made things worse.

Dean helped peel the long sleeves off his brother's arms then stood back. "You're on your own now, can you manage a shower?"

Sam shook his head. "Dean stop. Just stop okay, I wasn't the one who got hurt."

"Yeah well who else is gonna keep your sorry ass out of trouble. We both need to get cleaned up then work out what went down last night."

Sam stood in slow motion, his body language giving away more than he would ever admit. Dean saw the weariness he felt himself, reflected in his siblings face, in his eyes. He gave the damp t-shirt a prod with his hand, fully intending to try and lighten the moment but stopped short when Sam flinched and pulled away.

"Sam? What is it, you said you didn't get hurt."

"I didn't, it's just cold."

"Show me."

"What? No."

"Dammit Sam." He was at the end of his patience and grabbed the hem of his brother's t-shirt and reefed it up.

"What is this? What happened to you?" Dean was alarmed to see thin gouges down one side of his brother's ribs and stomach. Some of the marks has almost scabbed but many were still red raw and seeping.

"Sam." Dean grabbed his brother's arm as he tried to push past him. Sam stilled, facing away from Dean as if still deciding whether he could make a break for it.

"Nothing happened to me. I thought if I wasn't hurt you'd be okay, that's how it's supposed to work. No bullet and you're alive. But…but that doesn't work either, you still get hurt. I have to fix this Dean."

Dean was floored by the desperation in Sam's voice and the way he was trying to rationalise what he had done to himself. He wasn't sure about the bullet Sam referred to but he would store that away for now.

"Sammy, God you can't do this to yourself. Please, promise me you'll stop. Please Sam."

Sam met his brother's eyes and was lost. How could he explain that it took away some of his fear, that it was an outlet for how terrified he was for his brother? All he saw though was how much this seemed to hurt Dean. He had caused this hurt on top of what Dean was already going through and it just about broke him.

"M'sorry Dean, I'm sorry." He sat back down, whispering the words and briefly closing his eyes unable to look anymore at the pain he had caused.

"I get it Sam." Dean sank back down on his bed again so he was directly facing his brother. "I know you're scared and it's okay. I am too." He added quietly. "We're gonna look out for each other like we always do but I need to know you're looking after yourself Sam. I need to know that."

Sam nodded. "The same goes for you Dean. I don't come first. We'll look out for each other but you don't get to worry about me when you're the one that's hurt."

"As long as you have a hot shower now." He managed half a grin. "Then we eat. Then we work this out."

"I saw a boy before I found you." Sam paused remembering the outline of his brother's body in the glow of the flashlight on the water. "He ran off before I got close but he was watching what happened."

"You think he knew what it was?"

"Well even if he did, I didn't get a good look at him." He looked up at his brother, saw the too pale face and the bruising on his cheekbone and forehead. "You nearly died Dean."

Again.

"Well I didn't Sam." Not yet he added silently, trying to look better than he felt. "Please man, go warm up."

Sam rose from the bed and walked into the small kitchen area returning with arm outstretched and hand open with a pill bottle. "Here take some, the frostbite or whatever those marks are will hurt for a while."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean took another sip of his coffee and stared at the half eaten toast and bacon on his plate. "It had Karl when I got there, pushing him under then bringing him up for air. I thought it was a kid y'know so I put the gun down, thought I could take him."

"So it was playing with him before trying to kill him? I don't get it, why not just drown him outright if it was that strong?" Sam absently rearranged the cold pancakes in front of him.

"Can you swim?"

"What?"

"It asked him if he could swim. Two Mississippi…" Dean's stomach clenched. Can you swim Dean? "Dammit!"

"Dean what?"

"It's Adam. He tried to kill Karl the way he was humiliated. When those kids were flushing his head yesterday, Karl held him down while they taunted him. They asked him if he could swim."

"There's no way Adam could've…"

"Yeah I know, something's doing his dirty work."

"We need to pay Adam a visit. This doesn't seem like a spirit or anything else we've come across before."

"I saw it, hell it felt solid enough but had no features Sam. I know it was dark but I couldn't make out a face, it was all in shadow."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They walked past the picket fence and along the neat path, guns tucked under their jackets. Dean banged on the screen door not bothering with the bell and they waited silently. He raised his fist to hammer on the door again when the inner door opened and Adam's face appeared.

"So Adam, what did you get up to last night? Out with friends, read a good book or I don't know try to drown someone?" Dean folded his arms and waited.

"What are you talking about? I was home last night. What…what happened?"

Sam shook his head. "Listen Adam we know you've got something to do with this okay. We know you're hurting the kids that bully you but you're messing with something dangerous and you need to let us help you."

"I said I don't know what you're talking about."

"How did you hurt your hand?" Sam nodded at the cuts. "You were there, that was you I saw fall wasn't it."

"Leave me alone."

"Adam this is getting out of control, please we can help. We just need to know what you're doing and we can help stop it." Sam reasoned.

The boy looked at Sam and shook his head. "You can't help me."

The door was slammed closed.

"We're gonna find out what you're doing you little shit. If I have to tie you down and beat it out of you myself. No one else is gonna die."

Sam grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him away from the door. "He's too scared Dean, he's afraid of something. I don't know, maybe he's not doing this on purpose."

"Sam he used the same words that Karl said to him, then tried to drown the same kid that flushed him. A little too much poetic justice don't you think? Unless someone else in the group is trying to protect him."

"Maybe but…I think you might be right."

"What?"

"Poetic justice Dean. Think about it, the other kids all died in different ways but they were all part of the group that bullied Adam. Chris Millpond died eating dirt and earthworms, what's that make you think of?"

"You mean nobody loves me, everybody hates me, think I'll eat some worms is the motive here? If you're right, this could get really weird Sam. We need to find these kids again."

"Yeah, the term eat my shorts just became a death sentence."

_tbc…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Sticks and Stones**

**Disclaimer:** I can't believe I had forgotten this but needless to say I still don't own anything Supernatural.

_a/n: Yeah I know, it's short and stodgy and it's not my best but aarrgh…I'll just apologise for it and be done._

**Chapter 4**

"Well thanks anyway, I'll talk to Mikey next week at school about tryouts." Dean ended the call and made a face. "Well that's the fourth name on the list in the group of death and he's out too."

"Maybe we can try the diner again it's nearly lunchtime." Sam sat back staring at the computer which sat amidst a pile of books on his bed. "Y'know there's not a lot of spirits or demons that are associated with frostbite and revenge. Like zero results."

"What about astral projection or a Tulpa like Mordecai?"

"A Tulpa needs the strength of numbers to make it real, and there's no website this time. Astral projection might be possible but it still doesn't explain the frostbite symptoms." Sam looked over as Dean rubbed a hand across his eyes, wincing as he made contact with the bruising on his face. "Hey you okay? How's the head?"

"Yeah I'm good. Wish these marks would stop itching though."

"It means they're healing. You're lucky they weren't worse or in more extreme places, you could've lost a body part." Sam smirked.

Dean shuddered. "Thanks for the visual image bro." He picked a pillow up from the end of his bed and launched it at the grin.

Sam saw it coming a mile off but was restricted in his movement by the laptop and books so he raised his arm and deflected the projectile. The pillow hit his arm and rebounded onto the bedside table where it clean sweeped both the lamp and clock radio.

Music blared out in the room.

Dean noticed several things. The song was Angel of Harlem, he knew all the words but would never admit it.

And Sam now stood frozen, breathing like he'd just ran a race, his laptop lying sideways on the bed and various books scattered on the floor.

"Sam? Sammy you with me?"

Dean moved between the beds and switched the radio off. "Hey, you okay?"

Sam seemed to focus on him and nodded before averting his eyes and busying himself with righting the computer.

Dean sighed and watched his brother pretending to be fine. It was as though Sam thought that movement and disregard for his reaction would make it all go away. Not gonna happen.

"Sam, you'll get past it don't worry."

"Yeah. I shouldn't worry about you dying at all cause that'll work." Sam hand clenched as he made himself keep still, resisted the urge to pull at his torn skin. He could do this for Dean.

"You know this isn't about the deal Sam. The trickster was messing with your head cause he was pissed at us. You can't keep worrying about what's happened or what's gonna happen. Just…"

"Please don't tell me to live for the moment Dean or not to worry or give it time. I can't do any of those things."

Dean closed his mouth. It freaked him out a little that Sam's voice was suddenly so calm, sounded so rational. "You can't keep letting this get to you either." He noticed the way his brother's hands were shaking.

"What if the trickster was right?" Sam looked at Dean, despair etched across his face, the words barely audible. "What if I can't save you?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx4491

Dean parked the car down the road from Getty's Diner and they walked along the footpath in silence. Dean was more than a little worried about his brother's current state of mind but couldn't exactly take a break in the middle of a job to deal with it. Neither of them would risk lives over their own frailties.

Sam had all but clammed up except to go over details of their next move which wasn't exactly rocket science. Find these kids and scare them into giving out some details of what had gone down with Adam. At least it might prove Sam's theory of death by irony.

They walked in, Sam watching to see if his brother recognised any of the group. Dean nodded his head towards the back of the room and walked over sitting down without invitation opposite the couple at the table. Sam slid in the bench seat next to him.

"Beech and Mikey, we need to have a few words." He nodded in Sam's direction, "This is my partner."

"We haven't done anything wrong." Mikey sat back feigning indifference.

"Well now who said you had? Oh of course apart from flushing someone's head down a toilet."

"We need you to tell us what Aidan Walker and Anna Bourke did to Adam." Sam looked directly at Beech as he spoke. "You won't get in trouble but we need to know if we're gonna stop any more deaths."

"Don't say anything, they can't make you tell them anything. Unless you're gonna charge us." Mikey smiled.

Dean wanted to wipe the smile off this boy's face so badly but instead he smiled and leaned in real close. "That's right Mikey but you might want to think about how you've been treating Adam, what you've said to him lately." Dean held up one finger. "I mean Aidan teased him about being a coward and he ended up playing chicken with a train."

Sam's eyebrows shot up a little at Dean's deduction but he didn't speak, watching as his brother held up a second finger.

"Chris decided to sing a little rhyme about worms and hey presto he's living the dream, except he kinda choked on them. Now I don't know if you've heard about Karl…"

"We know, Loren was there she told me what happened. Said you'd saved them." Beech sounded scared. "Loren said it wasn't Adam…"

"Beech will you just shut up. If Adam's paying some muscle to try and scare us he's going about this all wrong."

"No, I'm scared and Loren's scared. Karl almost drowned." She turned back to Dean. "What did you want to know?"

Mikey slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "You coming?"

Beech hesitated then shook her head.

"Fine." He stormed out the door.

"What did Anna do?"

"She thought it'd be funny to set him up y'know. Make it seem like she wanted to meet him cause he had this crush on her. It was weird, I mean she was always horrible to him and he still liked her. Anyway, she started smiling and kinda flirting with him from a distance then slipped him a note to meet her behind the gym after school. He went and well…she had like the whole football team there waiting. They roughed him up a little and y'know paid out on him at school for showing up."

"She tore his heart out." Sam looked grimly at Dean as he spoke, part of him understood the anger Adam must've felt. He'd had a taste of being bullied, always being the new kid and being good at school made you a target. To his advantage though, having an older brother like Dean kind of made it go away fairly quickly.

"So what else do we have to worry about? What else has happened? Have you…?"

"No, I swear I haven't done anything. I guess that's the problem though, I should've done something to stop it."

"What about Mikey?"

"He's pretty upset about Chris and the others although he won't say anything. Just after…after Chris died he beat up on Adam and another guy, Lars, pretty bad after school one day. Karl and Aidan stopped him and they said he had a knife. I don't think he would've used it, it was only for show."

"You need to stay inside this weekend. Make sure you're not alone and don't go out anywhere by yourself. Get in touch with the others and tell them the same thing. You still got the number I gave you?" Dean watched as the girl nodded, eyes wide open. "Good, use it if you need it."

Dean rested his head back against the cheap plastic and closed his eyes after Beech had left. "Jesus Sam what the hell are we dealing with here?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean put a cup of coffee on the table next to his brother, careful not to put it too near the ancient looking text that was being read. He walked back to the computer and sat down, sipping the hot fluid and staring at the latest search results hoping for inspiration. He tried to recall some other details from last night and a thought struck him.

"Sam, I can remember thinking its face is nothing but shadow – what if it was y'know, just shadow? Is there another type of shadow demon that's more solid than the ones that attacked us and Dad in Chicago?"

Sam paused, his eyes searching the Library assortment across his rumpled quilt until he found a grey book much the same size and shape of a standard bible. He flicked through the pages for several minutes.

"Apart from the daeva, maybe a shadow mantra? It's a lesser demon that's attracted to hate and offers revenge. It's usually summoned though and requires a blood sacrifice to bind the deal. There's not much else in here except it notes that this demon goes largely undetected because the victims are normally held responsible for the crimes it commits. No mention of the frostbite thing but..."

Sam turned the book around for Dean. "It's a possibility but there's nothing to tell us what it's capable of doing. At least if it's demon we know how to waste it."

"But that would mean that Adam brought this on and there's another dead body somewhere."

"C'mon we need to watch him and see what his next move is."

Dean began loading salt shots and checking his gun. Sam grabbed some flares for good measure.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was mid afternoon when they reached Adams' house and Dean opened the driver's door. "I'm just gonna check, make sure he's home."

"Let me go, you seem to make him a little nervous."

Dean was about to protest when his phone rang. Before he said anything, a girl's shrill voice spoke hysterically.

"Yeah okay Beech calm down. Where are you now? Dammit I said don't go anywhere. Listen to me, turn around and go home, we'll deal with it. Yeah so do I."

Dean shoved his phone in his jacket and gunned the engine. "Mikey's arranged to meet Adam at the school to sort this out. Only problem is, now he's not answering his phone."

"You think Adam went along? He would've known it was a set up."

"Yeah but who's setting it up? Moron Mikey has probably just walked into his very own trap."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When they pulled up at the school, the gates were locked so they parked on the road and walked along the path looking for an entry. It didn't take them long to find a hole in the chain link that looked like it saw regular use. They slipped through and crossed the concrete towards the main building.

"Main doors are bolted, we'll have to check the side doors and windows." Dean came down the main stairs not surprised by the outcome but worried at how long it was going to take to get inside.

"I'll…I'll go this way and meet you round the back, call me if you find a way in." Sam flinched inwardly as he spoke but he knew it was the only way. "Be careful."

Dean knew Sam was going against his instincts to get the job done. He knew Sam would be struggling with this decision and he just hoped it wouldn't distract him and get him hurt. "Yeah Sam just take it easy and call if you see anything."

Sam took a breath and began moving along the left side of the building. There was only one door about half way down he could see but there were numerous windows to check. He finally reached the rear of the structure and quickly checked the back but everything was secured. Turning around the corner he stopped and looked along the other side of the school.

No Dean.

He willed his knees not to buckle. Dean had probably just found a way in and was about to call him. Sam stared at his cell phone as if he could make it ring.

"No." Sam's mouth went dry as he press speed dial and called his brother.

Voicemail.

Sam redialed.

Voicemail.

Sam ran along the building frantically checking for any signs that Dean had gained entry but came up empty. His hands shook as he heard Dean's message again.

"Dean please pickup."

As he stared helplessly back the way he had come, his eyes caught sight of another structure across the concrete. The gym.

Sam started sprinting.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A painful ache behind his eyes was the first thing he became aware of, the second thing was that he couldn't move his hands. To a hunter, your hands often meant the difference between life and death, being able to defend yourself or die.

The feeling of panic rose with his level of consciousness as did the pain in his head.

He remembered seeing Adam running towards him, still too far away to be a direct threat, then nothing. The nothing could more than likely be directly attributed to the head trauma and he wondered if being knocked out twice in twenty four hours was a new record for him.

Probably not.

Dean realised he was sitting in a chair, arms bound behind him and his legs secured as well. Glancing around he was pretty sure he couldn't see his brother although he could see at least two of everything else. Not good.

He would just have to wait this out until Sam found him. By the look of the room and its contents he was still on school grounds, he wasn't sure where exactly but surely he couldn't have been moved too far. He had no idea how much time had elapsed since he had been king hit.

He wriggled his wrists to see if he could loosen the rope maybe get to his phone but all he accomplished was to rub a few layers of skin off his hands. He felt the warm trickle of blood run down his palms and fingertips. Good job he berated himself, before he tested to see if the added lubricant helped loosen his bonds.

A voice much closer than he cared it to be startled him out of his personal inventory, also highlighting the fact that his senses were somewhat malfunctioning. Being surprised was not something Dean was accustomed to but he recovered like a professional.

"Do you like how it feels? Helpless, pathetic, impotent?"

"Whoa hold on a minute there sunshine, I think that last one is taking it just a bit too far don't you think?"

The blackness that belonged to the voice moved fast and Dean felt his head snap back as a cold fist collided with his jaw.

"Y'might want to invest in a pair of gloves there frosty. The ladies aren't so impressed with cold hands."

Another solid hit to his face made his eyes water as Dean found out the hard way this tactic was just going to get him unconscious again sooner rather than later. He tried to control his breathing and waited, squinting to focus his eyes.

"I will get the truth out of you just like you said, do you remember how Dean."

"What? What truth you freak?"

The shadow answered in a whispered voice next to Dean's ear, punctuating each word with a face or body blow that rocked the chair each time it connected.

If. I. Have. To. Tie. You. Down. And. Beat. It. Out. Of. You. Myself.

_tbc…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Sticks and Stones**

Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from anything Supernatural.

_a/n: __Sorry for the delay – RL can be a bitch sometimes.__ Well this was meant to be the final chapter but I think I got all caught up in the angst of the moment and...now it's the second last chapter. So much for "__my attempt at more of an episode-like story"…ha! __There are a few plot holes so tread warily cause it's too late to fix them so save yourselves! _

_There is one timeline for this chapter but it is not told in order and jumps back and forth - I have no explanation why...it just is._

_Thanx for your reviews and encouragement – and a special thanx to dimensions-in-space for being an awesome "stalker"!!_

_lb._

**Chapter 5**

He had stopped trying to fight it after about the tenth hit – it took everything he had to just gasp in enough oxygen before it was punched out of him again and his starved lungs were screaming, pulling at his insides.

The blood was running down his face but strangely he couldn't determine what damage had been done. There was just pain and a slow realisation that the assault had finally stopped.

Dean bit back on the pain, letting out an involuntary grunt each time he sucked air into his lungs as the burn of now damaged ribs made breathing a new torment. He could taste the blood in his mouth but was too dazed to determine whether it was from a hit or whether he had bitten his own lip.

He did remember something though. The words preceding each punch were his words, spoken more in frustration at the time than threat. However as testament to his current condition, Adam's faithful shadow puppet had obviously perceived them as a danger.

At least if it was here with him that meant that Sam was safe. God Sam. His brother was walking on the edge as it was, this was probably gonna push him over. Dean knew Sam would get them out of this, push aside his own fears until this was over and they were safe but he worried how high the cost would be for his younger sibling.

"Adam I know you're here somewhere letting it do your dirty work." Dean ground the words out, his voice ragged. "So you're gonna let this…this thing kill me cause I yelled at you? Well aren't you just the fragile one? Why don't you come out and play, it's not like I can get you now."

"I don't want to play." Adam came out of the shadows to Dean's right but didn't approach any closer.

"C'mon Adam it's gone far enough. You need to call this thing off." Dean glanced up at the shadowy form that now waited poised in front of him. He squinted through the blood and sweat obscuring his already blurry vision, trying to determine what it now held against its dark form.

Adam laughed, it almost sounded normal. "Call it off? Can't you see it IS me. It's a part of who I am and it protects me." The voice dropped a notch, sounded almost regretful. "I…I can't call it off now. Too late for that, it won't…I'm stronger now because of it."

"It won't what Adam? Listen to you anymore, do what you say?" Dean slowly began to realise exactly was Adam meant, this was his own shadow, his inner darkness somehow manifested. "Stronger? Hiding behind some kind of shadow monster isn't stronger, it just means you're a freak as well as being a coward."

Dean realised too late his normal tactic was just going to earn him more pain when he heard an anguished cry as the creature moved quickly placing a rough rope around his neck and looped it over a metal fixture in the ceiling. It then cut the ties around his ankles and midriff that bound him to the chair. The tension on the rope was pulled tighter and tighter until he was forced to his feet. He could barely breathe, every part of him was aching but he needed to stand still to avoid choking.

"This is not gonna solve your problems Adam. We can help you stop it, help you get control." Dean ignored the rope biting into his skin as he spoke but he was then silenced by a gag, surprised to find it was Adam putting it on him. The boy look scared but wouldn't meet his gaze and Dean realised then that Adam had lost control.

Literally afraid of his own shadow.

As Adam quickly walked away taking the chair with him, Dean was dismayed to find the shadow Adam was brandishing a baseball bat. The first strike hit his shoulder and white fire spread from his collarbone and down one arm as he tried to maintain his feet.

"Beat. It. Out. Of. You." The voice held nothing but hatred and madness and Dean understood it only existed to serve one purpose. No logic, no mercy. Just pain and death. Revenge and survival.

His knees buckled when the bat hit the same mark and he struggled in blind panic to gain his feet as the rope closed off his airways for several seconds. His brain somehow catalogued the fact that his arm was well and truly broken.

Hit number three gutted him but was thankfully below his ribcage, glancing off his left hip and into the muscles of his abdomen. The backward momentum from the strike forced his shoulders back when all he wanted to do was curl over into the agony. He barely braced himself with a foot slightly behind his body, trying to keep his stance as wide as he could for balance.

The bat was poised for a fourth strike and Dean knew it wasn't going to take much more before he overbalanced or passed out and hung himself.

C'mon Sammy he thought as he winced in anticipation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The door opened easily when he grabbed the handle, the sound of the door closing behind him echoed across the waxed floorboards of the basketball court. Sam drew his gun and walked across the floor, checking behind and under the raised seating structures.

As he approached one of the inner doors he heard a sound, a muffled voice coming from the change rooms and approached cautiously. The door had been blocked by something solid on the other side and Sam had to brace his bodyweight against it before he felt any give. With a reverberating crash, something toppled over and he was able to open the door half way. Edging through the gap slowly and stepping over the fallen locker he found Mikey tied and gagged across a seat with blood dripping from various gashes to his arms and chest. The boy was whimpering and became almost frantic when he saw Sam.

Sam quickly cut the rope using his knife and Mikey pulled the gag from his mouth. "It was cutting me up, it's gonna kill me. Oh God I don't know what it is."

"Calm down. Did you see Dean, my…partner? Was he here?"

"No just that thing with the knife. We've gotta get out of here before it comes back."

"Why did it leave?"

"I don't know. It seemed…happy about something. More lessons, it said something like that. More lessons."

"Where's your car out front? Can you drive?" The boy's wounds didn't seem to deep, maybe in need of a few stitches.

"Yeah. Yeah I think so."

"I need to get you out of here but I've gotta find Dean he could be hurt. I want you to take this and follow me – I'll get you to your car." Sam handed the boy a flare and held the lighter out. "You okay to do this?"

The boy nodded and Sam ushered him out of the room and back across the basketball court. "Okay, I'm gonna light this and you need to stay with me and out of any shadowed areas. We keep to the sunlight as much as we can. I don't think it can take form in full light." Sam saw a look of fear cross the boy's face. "Don't ask, believe me you really don't want to know."

The flare sizzled and they took off at a slow jog with Sam slightly behind the boy and armed with a salt loaded sawn off which Mikey eyed nervously. Sam didn't know how effective the salt shot would be and breathed in relief as they reached the halfway mark alongside the main building.

Sam halted their progress as he realised either way they traveled around the building they would pass through shade from the structure itself or from the surrounding trees as the sun moved along its mid afternoon descent. He tried to focus on the task at hand, what Dean would expect him to do.

Dean was probably hurt. He shouldn't have left his brother alone. Should have stopped this from happening. He had failed his brother again.

It took all his training not to think about what may have happened to Dean. What might be happening now. It didn't stop the mantra in the back of his mind that repeated endlessly, "Not Tuesday, not Tuesday, please not Tuesday." It didn't stop his hands shaking.

He lit two more flares from his backpack, giving another to Mikey and holding one himself in tandem with the shotgun. "Whatever happens Mikey, if I say run, you run. You get into the sun, get to your car and go okay?"

"Okay but…what if it gets you? What if…"

"I'll be fine. My brother and I, this is what we do."

"You're partners with your brother?"

"Yeah." Sam shouldered the pack and repositioned his weapon. "C'mon."

Sam ran beside the boy this time, constantly checking behind them for any movement. He was looking straight at it when it came for them but still he found it difficult to discern the darkness within the darkness.

A blur of shape and a subtle shift of movement had his full attention and he fired off two rounds into the black. Something dropped to the ground only to recover seconds later and Sam found himself looking at the outline of a boy shrouded in shadow.

"Go now, run as fast as you can and don't stop!" He yelled at Mikey without taking his eyes off the shape. Keeping his body between the shadow boy and Mikey, Sam angled in the direction that Mikey had gone while also advancing further into the shade, flare outstretched. He saw it move back a little as the sizzling light ate away at its cover and he fired another round to make sure it wouldn't go after the boy.

As he heard an engine roar to life and the triumphant beep of a horn, all his thoughts returned to finding his brother. Unfortunately, holding the flare in front of him to restrict the movement of the demon also had a second effect as Sam found his vision could no longer penetrate the darkness as the light flare had burned a temporary imprint on his retinas. Relying more on his peripheral vision now, he froze when he heard a noise behind him. From out of the sunlight.

"I'm sorry, I really am. There was no problem with you but its angry now cause you stopped the lessons. My Dad taught me how to shoot but if you just go away, I won't have to do this. Please."

Sam turned slowly and saw Adam standing in the light, blood dripping from his face and his jumper peppered with red tinged holes. He was swaying slightly and he held Dean's gun. Sam was pretty sure it was loaded with salt but that didn't make him any less nervous.

"Adam, put the gun down. Let me help you. Where's my brother?"

"It's funny cause your…brother said the same thing. Y'know I 'm surprised you're brothers cause you don't act like it. Shouldn't you have tried to save your own brother first? Anyway he's not very nice, said mean things."

"Yeah? Then why's he trying to help you?" Sam felt uneasy not knowing where the shadow demon was but not wanting to take his focus off Adam. Tying not to let the words cut through him like the awful truth.

He should have saved Dean first but he didn't – what kind of brother was he? Dean had already sacrificed too much.

"He's just saying that stuff so he won't die. Like the others. They're all nice in the end when they're hurting, when they think it will save them. But it doesn't, it's too late then."

The words "when they're hurting" screamed inside Sam's head and he felt the sweat trickle down his face and back as his hands clenched around the gun and dying flare. He forced himself to breathe.

"My brother risks his life all the time to save people he doesn't know, sometimes doesn't even like – he just does the right thing. Doesn't mean he always says the right thing. Dean's a good person Adam, he doesn't deserve to die. Put the gun down and take me to him, we can make this stop."

Adam tilted his head to the side in an almost unnatural gesture. "I think it will stop soon. We have this link and I can tell when it's nearly over. When it gets hurt…," Adam paused to look down at his blood flecked clothes and it dawned on Sam that he must have caused this damage when he shot at the shadow. "…I hurt. When its happy I feel good."

Sam's eyes widened in horror as he realised Adam was talking about Dean which meant the shadow had slunk off while he was being distracted here. He raised his gun and fired at the boy, not caring anymore. He just needed to get to his brother now.

Sam blinked for a few seconds trying to comprehend the second shot as he heard Adam cry out in pain. He found he couldn't draw a breath about the same time he realised he was lying on his back. The pain from the impact suddenly drove through his body as his senses caught up with the fact he had been shot at close range and his vision faded to black.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean braced himself as best he could, willing himself to stay upright. He held his breath hoping to God the hit would be anywhere but his damaged arm to give him a chance to stay conscious.

It was taking longer than he thought it would and he tried to focus his eyes in the dim light without much success. With a groan he managed to turn his head a little but still saw no discernable shape or movement.

"I tried to make it ignore you y'know." Dean jumped a little when he heard Adam's voice in the stillness. He had forgotten the boy was still there. "I didn't mean for this to happen but you brought it on yourself. You shouldn't have said what you did, you're just like them."

He tried to look at Adam but raising his head too much made everything swim and he could feel himself leaning into the rope around his neck for balance. He couldn't help but hold his breath and tense when he saw the dim shape of the boy approach from the side but only to cut through the gag and pull it from his mouth.

"You…you gonna finish me off or what?'

"I guess technically it will be me." He laughed a little at the conundrum, but the laugh was off. "I think Mikey might be trying the great escape so that has to be dealt with first. He would have already been dead but we got two for the price of one instead when you showed up."

"Your life…this is all it is now. You know that right?" Dean felt his right knee give a little under the strain and the rope bit further into his skin. The ache in his arm and shoulder was creeping around to his back as well as the muscles spasmed and twitched in protest.

"No, no it'll be better now. Everything will be fine."

"No Adam you're a freak now and this…this is something you can't control. This is all you are now. You don't control anything."

Dean heard Adam's breathing increase and knew he was pushing the right buttons. He just hadn't reckoned on the boy suddenly growing a pair and stepping up to him.

"I can control whether you die right now."

It was hilarious really, all it took was a vicious push with one finger on his battered arm and Dean's whole body crumpled in on itself as the pain fired up again and he lost his balance. Both legs gave out and he fell forward, the only thing stopping his descent was the rope around his neck.

As he scrambled to regain his footing, his arms automatically tensed behind his back sending another shockwave through broken bones. The gurgled choking noises, Dean recognised as his own but the sounds dimmed as black spots invaded his vision. He was just thankful that the pain began to recede along with his senses.

Arms suddenly gripped him painfully around his middle and jerked him to his feet. Too weary to do anything but gasp lungfuls of oxygen, Dean wasn't sure if he could do this much longer. He knew Sam would come and he knew he should hold on but he was just so tired and everything hurt so much his thoughts were nothing but jumbled and half formed emotions in his head.

He glanced up at Adam, squinting to focus and thought he saw a look of almost remorse cross the boys face right before he was thrown off his feet. There was no one else in the room Dean could make out but Adam was clutching his chest as he slowly got to his feet and his shirt looked like it had been hit with shrapnel. Adam had barely got to his knees when an unseen force flattened him again. Slower to rise this time but making it all the way to standing, Dean could see blood on the boy's face.

"Something's wrong." He mumbled to himself as he staggered from the room and closed the door behind him.

"Sam." The word trickled out of Dean's mouth along with the bright red blood that dripped from his chin and stained his shirt. He knew he was swaying, felt the movement of air brush against his now clammy skin. The pain throughout his body kept time with the steady thrum of his heartbeat, even his focus seemed to wane in and out with the beat.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever and Dean slowly realised he was struggling more and more to breathe as his body sagged into the noose. A spark of hope came alive in his consciousness when he thought he heard a sound nearby and he fought to straighten up.

"Beat. It. Out. Of. You."

Hope turned to fear.

tbc…

_a/n: No you're not reading chapter 4 again, I don't know but it just seemed to end the same way. I'm not quite sure how this happened and the plot is shot so I guess I'm just trying to distract you now with angst and whumpage…is it working?_

_lb._


	6. Chapter 6

**Sticks and Stones**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Supernatural.

_a/n: I'm not giving myself time to think about this before I post it but right here, right now it feels right. Hope it makes amends for the lameness that was chapter 4!!_

_lb._

**Chapter 6**

The urge to breathe was an automatic function. The inability to do so was what brought Sam's awareness back as his chest arched in the air trying to refill his depleted lungs. Clutching at his damaged chest he finally managed to draw air as his body sagged in relief and he lay gasping.

He rolled to his side and then finally got to his knees, pain radiating from his chest and along his left arm as a result of the near point blank hit from the salt shot. He stood on shaking legs and stepped over Adam's still prone body, picking up both guns and his bag before turning towards the gym.

Sam's mind was in turmoil, still partially dazed and trying to process everything. The only clear thought was that he had to get to Dean now. He didn't know exactly what this thing was but it didn't matter, he just had to get Dean out and for once he didn't care if they finished this job or not. For once he just didn't want to give a damn.

He staggered back into the gym moving past the areas he had previously checked and the still open door where Mikey had been. There were two more rooms off the corridor, both doors were closed and Sam steadied himself against the wall as he paused hearing a noise from inside the closest one. He slowly turned the handle and not surprisingly found it locked.

Without wasting any more time, Sam kicked the door once, twice, then it crashed open and hit the wall hard. Sam walked forward slowly, eyes adjusting to the dim light, trying to ignore the sight before him while he checked for danger. Trying not to panic and rush forward.

It was a large equipment room with numerous shelves and storage boxes. The light was on but the single bulb in the high ceiling cast only a weak glow and the back of the room was hidden by the large sports billboards and various clutter strewn around. What drew his attention was the long rope attached to the ceiling which ended in a noose around Dean's neck. His brother was barely standing, his arms tied behind his back and he was struggling to breathe.

Sam could see he had been beaten badly.

"Dean? Oh God, Dean?"

As Sam walked toward him, gun drawn, Dean slowly shook his head. A thin line of blood ran down his chin and one eye was closed completely, swollen shut.

Sam knew the shadow boy must still be in the room somewhere and he reached into his jacket for a flare, lighting it quickly before he cut Dean's hands loose one handed with the knife. He knew the jolting movement was hurting his brother as the knife sawed against the rope but for both their sakes he couldn't afford to let his guard down either.

Slowly sliding his pack off his shoulder, Sam reached up to cut the noose but heard a noise from the back of the room and instinctively stepped in front of Dean. Awkwardly holding the shotgun in one hand and the flare and knife in the other he squinted into the shadows.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him spin to his right, flare before him and he was surprised to see Adam standing in the doorway. Out of options and trying to cover two possible directions of attack, Sam dropped the flare at Dean's feet and held the knife behind him, relieved when Dean took it from his grasp.

"Dean, you with me? Can you cut the other rope?"

Sam watched Adam approach from the corner of his eye. Adam was unarmed as far as Sam could tell and so the biggest threat was the shadow presumably at the back of the room where Sam kept the gun trained. He just needed to get Dean free so he could get him out.

"Dean?"

"Think so."

Dean sounded bad and Sam was fearful what had been done to him in the time he had been here. In the time it had taken Sam to get here. "How bad?"

"I'll live."

Sam frowned as the familiar words were thrown back at him, not exactly put at ease by his brother's reply but also knowing Dean wouldn't want to show any weakness in front of the enemy. In front of anyone.

"Actually you probably won't. I don't think either of you will be allowed to leave you know. I'm sorry Sam I didn't have a problem with you but then you went and shot me."

"Call it off Adam, it's over. We're not gonna let this go on." Sam was aware of the groan and harsh breathing from his brother but couldn't turn. Couldn't look away from the threat.

"Even if I wanted to….do you know what it's like to be tortured every day? To have them destroy you from the inside with their words and be pushed and pushed until there's nothing you want except to make them pay? This is the only way."

"Sam I can't…" The knife clattered as it fell to the floor.

"What have you done to him?" Sam gritted his teeth and moved back towards his brother until he was standing by his side, slowly bending to pick up his knife. "Dean I'm gonna cut the rope, put your hand on my shoulder okay. You ready?"

"Yeah."

Sam held his finger over the trigger and braced the shotgun against his hip as he slowly raised his left hand and found the rope without looking.

"He has to be taught a lesson. You do too Sam."

"You bastard." Sam risked a glance as he began to saw through the rope but Adam hadn't moved any closer.

"I didn't lay a hand on him." Adam said almost defensively.

"Distracted me. S'thing hit me from behind." Dean slurred. "Mikey, d'you find him?"

"Yeah Dean, he's safe."

Finally slicing through the last strand of rope, Sam had to drop the knife in favour of catching his brother who seemed to be unable to stand any longer without the support of the noose. He saw another shape moving fast as he lowered Dean to the ground and suddenly Adam moved forward and knocked the flare away. Sam was then struck by something solid and cold and he rolled backwards, hitting the wall hard as he fired off a round.

He saw the shadow within the darkness move to his brother and Sam scrambled to the flare and rolled it towards Dean. The shadow form slunk away to the wall.

"Dean?" Dean was too close to risk using the shotgun but the flare was going out and the shadow was edging closer. He tucked the gun under his arm.

Sam lit another flare, the second last one, and he stood and ran at the dark shape dropping the flare near Dean as he passed and then letting his momentum hit the shadow full force. He landed hard on his side holding on tight and they slid backwards, crashing through a stack of wooden posts and coming to rest against the far wall. Trying to regain his balance, Sam scrambled to stand and then it lunged at him as he rose.

Sam saw the knife, his own knife, go into his upper arm slightly before he felt the sickening pain as he sank back to his knees. All he could think about was that Dean hadn't answered him and he didn't know how bad his brother was hurt.

The shadow boy seemed to hesitate a moment and then began to move back towards Dean. Sam saw Adam crouch down next to his brother and realised the shadow was dressed in clothing the same as Adam.

"Get away from him."

Sam reached for the gun on the ground alongside him, wincing as the movement pulled at the knife lodged in his arm and blasted the shadow with rock salt before it could get too close to his brother again. Adam seemed to recoil from the shot and sat on the floor dazed. The shadow seemed to take longer to reappear this time.

About to recite a banishing spell, Sam paused as everything fell into place. This was no demon, there was a link to Adam. A direct link. It was his living shadow, his own personal darkness. He couldn't banish the manifestation of a human emotion.

The only way to destroy it was for Adam to control it or…he had to kill Adam.

"Adam it's gone for a minute but you need to stop this. You can control it, you've got the power here. You have to stop it Adam, there's no other way." Sam could see the boy was on the edge but he had to try and get through to him.

"I wanted it to happen, this is justice. I wanted them hurt and I feel stronger now and when it's here I can't stop myself…I don't want to stop it. I just want it to make them all suffer. Make you suffer. Make you die."

"It's not justice Adam it's revenge and it's gonna get you killed. I know it's a part of you and you can take back that control. I know you're scared but please you've got to try."

Sam slowly moved over and crouched by his brother who was somehow trying to sit up. "Dean stay down, its not over." Sam knew there was more than what he could see otherwise his brother would have been in the thick of the fight. "Dean please, I need you to stay there okay."

"M'okay Sammy. Finish this…first."

Sam stood as the shadow flickered back and held its grasp on a corporeal state. Adam seemed to straighten and smile. The smile held no humour and Sam could see no mercy either. "No one will hurt me anymore."

Sam risked a glance and saw his brother's eyes weren't focused. Blood was seeping through his shirt in several places and Dean was beginning to shake as though cold as he slowly sank back against the floor. Probably shock.

Sam had seen enough.

It wasn't a fully conscious decision on Sam's part nor was it a knee jerk reaction. It was just basic survival melded with an ingrained sense to protect. Protect the innocent and when that was done, protect each other.

Sam fired at Adam, a body shot blasting the boy off of his feet. Then he fired again. And again.

The shadow boy seemed to loose clarity, was less defined after the third shot as Sam turned the shotgun and fired a salt shot into its dark form. He watched almost mesmerised as it slunk across the floor to where Adam lay and seemed to disappear.

As Sam watched, knowing he only had a few spare rounds left, he realised there was another option that might work. Might give them some time. He closed his eyes briefly and prayed he got it right as he recited the Latin words of a basic binding spell.

The effect was instant as Adam screamed and writhed on the floor. Keeping his eyes on the boy, Sam moved back to his brother.

"Hey, it's okay I'm gonna get you out in a minute Dean. Just hang on."

Adam stopped moving and Sam stood as the room became quiet. He could feel his left arm trembling and he wondered vaguely how he could have forgotten the knife still lodged there inches deep. It would have to stay there for the moment.

The movement was sudden and unnaturally fast as Adam got to his feet. "You think you have beaten me now? You've just made me stronger."

"Adam walk away. Just walk away man. It can stop right here, right now if you want, you're not a bad person. We all have a choice, and now you're whole again you can balance the anger, control this darkness."

"But what if that's not what I want? What if all I am is darkness now?"

Sam gritted his teeth and used his injured left arm to reach inside his jacket for his handgun, dropping the salt loaded weapon and transferring the new weapon to his right hand.

"Then you won't be leaving."

"You wouldn't kill an innocent boy would you Sam?" The tone was mocking but there was no mistaking the intent as Adam ran at him.

Everything happened fast but in Sam's head it all played out at half speed. He felt Adam's shoulder hit his chest and pain danced along the nerves in his left arm as he automatically moved to fend off the attack as he was propelled backwards. His other arm was pinned between them along with the gun.

He fired.

Sam was looking down at Adam's face when he saw the look of surprise and confusion ripple across the young features. They were frozen in time as Sam stood there unable to move even when he felt the boy's body slide away and fall to the floor.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there trying to make some sense of it all. It was the sound of his brother that snapped him back to the here and now as he heard the struggle for breath.

"Dean?" Sam knelt down and carefully placed a hand on one trembling shoulder. "Hey I'm gonna get you out of here now okay. Can you tell me where you're hurt?"

"Dean? Please c'mon answer me man."

Sam lifted his brother's chin slightly so the sparse light caught his features. He saw with growing concern there was more blood spilling from his brother's mouth and his lips were now blue tinged. Dean frowned in concentration as he attempted to focus on Sam's face.

"Sm? Up…gemme up. Can't breathe."

Sam moved quickly, methodically putting the guns in his bag along with the knife he had finally ripped out of his arm. He shouldered the bag and somehow got Dean to his feet, bracing his brother with an arm and all but carrying him out of the room.

He didn't look back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"God Sammy…s'thing's wrong." Dean arched back against the seat, his breathe getting more laboured by the minute. Eyes beginning to roll back in his head.

"Hospital's not far okay. You're gonna be okay I promise. You're gonna be okay Dean, it's not Tuesday. It's not.'

Sam drove with one hand on the wheel and one hand on his brother's shoulder, as though he could physically make sure his brother stayed with him. Trying not to panic at the sounds of Dean choking on blood, gasping for breath right next to him.

The Impala screeched to a halt at the emergency room entrance and Sam hit the horn twice before jumping from the car and wrenching the passenger door open.

"Dean? We're here its okay now. You're okay." Sam reached in and grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt and shook him trying in vain to make him respond, becoming desperate when he got nothing in return.

Dean's head dropped to his chest, eyes closed, no movement. Blood still trickled down his chin and was lost in the crimson already staining his shirtfront. Sam shook his head, denying the reality.

"C'mon Dean answer me. You can't do this now okay, you can't. It's not Tuesday, this can't be real. DEAN!"

Sam initially fought the hands that moved him out of the way until there was a spark of recognition that Dean needed this, they were trying to help his brother. He gained enough clarity to tell them what they needed about his brother's injuries, practiced enough at the art of fabrication to create an assailant. It was all too much though when they tried to check him over as they wheeled Dean away and he held up his hands in defiance.

"Don't touch me. Just look after my brother."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam sat, not aware of anything except the pale and still body in front of him. He gripped the wrist of his brother as though it was a lifeline and he was the one drifting. Trying to determine if this was real or just another fucked up nightmare. The lines were now more than blurred in his mind and it was getting too hard to tell between the two. It dawned on him at some point there wasn't much difference so it didn't really matter if he was really here or not.

The only thing that he could grasp, the one thing that he knew mattered, was lying in front of him. Broken and silent.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He winced as the bitter liquid burnt his throat, sending a warm sensation through his body as it undid the knots in his muscles and deadened any unwanted sense of feeling.

Sam sat shirtless on the floor in the dark with the near empty bottle of Jack clutched tightly in his hand. He had clutched his brother's hand in the same desperate way four days ago and he knew this was only a substitute. Something to stave off the confusion and pain.

And guilt.

He watched the blood run down his arm in the barely there glow from the streetlights coming through the cheap curtains. The knife wound was still open and bloody – he hadn't allowed it to heal. He deserved to have this but more to the point he needed it.

His stomach had healed, the raking marks now reduced to hard scabs beneath his shirt. He could hardly look at them cause all he saw was the look on Dean's face that night when he had seen them. They weren't supposed to be there to hurt his brother, that's not what they were for at all. The rest of his body was bruised from the salt shot and his forearms and neck were littered with blue marks from the shadows cold touch but they had been left hidden and untended.

He drained the last of the bottle and let it slip from his fingers as he let his body slide along the wall until his shoulder rested on the floor and he curled his legs towards his chest. Even with his eyes closed he felt the room spinning and reflexively braced one hand on the cold floor. He welcomed the oblivion as he sank without a struggle knowing at least he wouldn't dream again tonight.

At least he would have Dean here with him tomorrow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was still early when Dean slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was supposed to wait until after the Doctor had given him a final check later that morning but enough was enough and he had to move.

He placed his feet on the floor, holding his breathe a little as the pain in his chest and ribs flared for a minute but he was getting used to it. He also noticed with relief that the previously constant blaze of pain in his head had now been reduced to intermittent spikes. Dean paused, waiting for the other aches to settle then walked over to the small closet that held the clean clothes Sam had brought in for him yesterday.

He placed the clothes on the bed and sat down next to them, closing his eyes and rubbing a hand across his face.

Sam.

Dean knew his younger brother was struggling. Him getting hurt again hadn't helped but Dean had the feeling there was more this time than Sam bringing him back from the brink yet again. The first couple of days after he had woken were hazy but then severe concussion and a punctured lung were bound to screw you up a bit.

It was yesterday when they had reduced the drugs and his clarity returned that he knew something was off, something more than the usual trauma of seeing each other hurt. Sam had bruises on his face and Dean had seen the telltale blue marks from the shadows touch, the same marks he had scattered over his skin but otherwise his brother didn't seem to be in too much physical pain.

Then again, it wouldn't be the first time they had hidden their injuries and pain from each other. Like good little soldiers.

He slowly started getting dressed, pulling jeans on and somehow managing to get them done up, awkwardly using the hand of his broken arm. He shrugged out of the hospital gown and opted for just the overshirt which he first eased over the cast and then slid his good arm through before doing several buttons up with one hand.

Dean lay back on the bed, too tired to bother with socks and boots for the moment. He tried to recall what had happened at the school but could only glimpse fragments after he had been separated from Sam.

The punches. The bat. The noose. The sound of his bones breaking. Then Sam cutting him down. Sam fighting. And then clawing panic when he couldn't breathe. The last thing was Sam's voice.

Sam had been vague on the details so far except to assure him it was over. Finished. Dean had been content with that, more relieved that his brother hadn't been hurt.

Dean knew now he had been mistaken.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean was aware of movement nearby and opened his eyes to the glare of the hospital room. His attention was drawn to the form standing by the window, unaware of Dean's wakeful state.

"Hey."

Sam turned and walked over. "Hey. How you feeling?"

"Ready to break out of this place." Dean sat up as he took in the haggard appearance of his brother. "Maybe you should be checking in though. You okay Sam?"

"Yeah. Just not sleeping real good. Not used to the quiet I guess." He smiled.

Dean nodded and continued with the pretense. For now. "Well I could use a coupla days Sam so you can have all the noise you want now."

As they walked out of the hospital side by side into the car park, Dean recognised the sour smell of alcohol and almost clumsy movements. He saw how Sam's knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel and drove them across town to a motel. He kept his mouth shut until they were inside the room.

"Tell me Sam." Dean sat down on one of the beds, noticing neither one appeared to have been used.

"What? Tell you what Dean?"

"Let's start with the drinking."

"Dean…" Sam shook his head.

"Since when do you drink so much alone you're still half tanked the next morning?"

"I told you I couldn't sleep okay. I just wanted…I just wanted to sleep Dean, that's all."

"See it doesn't work that way Sammy. Trust me I know. It lets you forget, let's you disappear for a while but it sure as hell doesn't help you sleep." Dean took a breath and watched as his brother leaned back against the wall. "What happened Sam? What happened before you got me out?"

Sam shook his head. This wasn't supposed to happen and he couldn't go there. "I banished the shadow Dean, end of story. What, you don't think I could've it without you?"

Dean knew Sam was trying to bait him. Deflecting. "What happened Sammy?"

"The banishing spell worked…"

"I know it wasn't a demon. It was Adam, his own shadow. I didn't figure it out until they were both in the room but that spell wouldn't have worked Sam."

"No…" Sam closed his eyes and folded his arms across his body. Fingers digging hard into his upper arms.

"Sam? Sammy its okay but you need to tell me man. You need to let me help you." Dean moved to stand in front of his brother, placing a hand on the younger boys shoulder.

Sam felt cornered and confused and so damn tired. _You wouldn't kill an innocent boy would you Sam? _But Dean was alive, Dean was alive_._

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips as he felt the knife wound under his fingers and pressed hard. Adam was dead. Dean was alive. And he was fucking insane.

Dean could see his brother was losing it and it was almost unbearable to watch. He should have seen it coming, they never should have started this job, not so soon after…

"Sammy." Dean had to get through. "Tell me what the hell happened."

As Dean watched, Sam's eyes finally met his own.

"I killed him. I killed Adam. Shot him through the heart, silver bullet just in case y'know, didn't want to fuck that part up."

It started out as a laugh but turned into a silent sob as Sam sank down the wall, eyes closed. Dean didn't have the strength to stop his descent so just eased his brother to the ground with his good arm and sat shoulder to shoulder against the wall.

"You had no choice Sammy. He would have kept killing." Dean had no doubt, knowing his brother, that it would have been his last option.

"There's always a choice Dean, you told me that. I wish there wasn't y'know. I wish to hell that we didn't have a choice and then maybe everything would be different. If I'd never gone to college Jess would be alive, if I'd shot Dad he'd still be gone but at least he wouldn't have had to sell his soul to hell and you…you wouldn't have made a deal to die for me. You shouldn't have done that."

Dean turned and placed his hand around the back of Sam's neck, needing to ground himself as much as his brother. He didn't know how to fix this and it was bad. Far worse than he'd thought cause he knew how Sam felt. Knew the feeling of guilt and anger and self loathing when someone you loved had given their life for you. Even when you didn't want it.

He knew he would make the same choice for Sam's life every time. He also knew he couldn't change how Sam felt about it either. That didn't mean he was going to let his brother blame himself for every fucked up thing in their lives. He would just have to fix one thing at a time.

"Sammy I would've done the same thing y'know. I would have shot him if it meant that I saved lives. Just like when we have to kill a demon in someone's body. I mean we don't always know if they would've lived if we had the chance to exorcise it but we don't always get that choice. You know that. I know it sucks but that's pretty much all we can do man. We can only do our best."

Sam gripped his brother's arm. "It's not good enough Dean. I can't do this…"

"I know Sam, I know it's hard. You're gonna get through this, I'll make sure you do man."

"I keep seeing his face."

"You will but that's what keeps us who we are, makes us remember they were worth something. The ones we save and the ones we don't."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean swallowed his pain meds and sat down on the edge of his bed, too tired to shower. He had left the bathroom light on wanting, needing something more than darkness tonight. Even to sleep.

He took a breath as he felt his body shake, emotions finally surfacing as his resolve and bravado crumbled in the silence.

Sam was asleep and lay unmoving and haphazardly sprawled on the bed as exhaustion finally claimed him. Dean had taken his boots off and had somehow removed his brother's jacket without waking him. That's when he had seen it. The blood.

Dean had unbuttoned and peeled back Sam's shirt, first noticing the angry bruise and shrapnel marks over his chest and then he had found the knife wound. Biting back his reaction, he had cleaned and dressed it and still Sam hadn't stirred.

The skin should have knitted together by now, even without stitches. Instead it had been clawed and peeled back and Dean knew it would have hurt.

He pressed his fist into his mouth, wondering how his little brother how gotten so broken without him noticing.

He would fix Sam, get him through this. Show his brother that the sacrifices they made were worth it even though they didn't win every battle.

They couldn't save everyone but Dean would make damn sure that Sam wasn't on the casualty list. Even if it was the last thing he did.

**The end.**

_a/n: I know, I know...yes it's a messy, unresolved ending but it needed to be, I needed it to be. Please don't throw things!! _

_Thanx for reading!!_

_lb._


End file.
